As a child, being barefoot was one of my favorite things about summer. The feeling of cool grass or warm sand beneath my feet meant I avoided shoes as much as possible. I even mastered the art of running on gravel a short distance if it meant avoiding shoes. But as I got older, I lost the art of going barefoot. So when I heard about a trend called barefoot running that could possibly even prevent injury, I wanted to know more. 

Runners are always looking for ways to prevent injury and stay on the road for longer. You may be familiar with the barefoot running trend based on those funny looking shoes with the toes that came out a few years ago. Supporters of barefoot running claim that humans evolved to run barefoot so the use of the modern running shoe is the root of all our running-related problems. It is true that despite all the fancy technology in shoes today, running injuries still happen. However, there is not enough evidence to conclude that running barefoot reduces injury risk, so it is important to weigh the pros and cons before ditching your sneakers for good.

Running with or without shoes encourages two different styles of running. People who run with shoes tend to land on their heels, while people who run without shoes tend to land closer to their toes  (Rothschild, 2012). Without shoes, people also tend to take shorter, more frequent steps (Rothschild, 2012). This style of running can theoretically result in a smaller torque, or rotational force, at the hip and knee (Rothschild, 2012). This is because when we take longer steps, the foot contacts the ground further away from the hip and knee joint. This causes the weight of the body to create a greater rotational force at the joint. This is why it is easier to loosen a nut using a wrench with a longer handle. Because you apply the force further away from what you are trying to rotate, it is easier to turn the nut. More force is good when you want to turn something, but may not be as good for your joints, which is why supporters of barefoot running claim it is better for your hips and knees.

Additionally, barefoot running may help activate the muscles inside the foot that help support the main arch of the foot. Without the cushioning of modern footwear, the foot is exposed to different sensations as it contacts the ground which activates these muscles (Rothschild, 2012). Most modern running shoes have built-in supports that could reduce our reliance on these muscles. Researchers compared the size of inner foot muscles from two groups of men- one who grew up wearing thin rubber sandals and one who grew up wearing typical shoes (Holowka, Wallace, Lieberman, 2018). They found that the intrinsic foot muscles were larger in the group that typically wore unsupportive sandals. This supports the idea that going barefoot strengthens these muscles, which are important for the stability of the foot and the body as a whole. Barefoot running is not the only way to strengthen these muscles as they are also given attention in class at Encompass!

Despite evidence that running barefoot changes running style, there is not enough evidence to confirm that this reduces the risk of injury. There may also be an increased risk for some types of injury. The barefoot style of running places more tension on the achilles tendon (the cord-like structure on the back of your ankle) which could predispose it to injury (Perkins, Hanney, Rothschild, 2012). Additionally, because there is no protection for the sole of the foot, sharp objects could easily cause injury. While barefoot-style shoes can help reduce the risk of injuring your foot by stepping on something sharp, not all shoes that advertise themselves as ‘barefoot’ actually promote the barefoot running style (Perkins, Hanney, Rothschild, 2012). 

If you think that running barefoot is something you want to try, do not throw away your running shoes just yet. A slow transition from regular runners to barefoot shoes is important. It is also important to get your feet used to having no protection, so you might want to start by just increasing the amount of time you spend barefoot around the house. Rothschild (2012) also recommends preparing the body for this new style of running by training flexibility, strength, balance, and power. So to avoid injury, switching to barefoot running is going to take some work!

Despite the nostalgia the thought brought back, I have not tried barefoot running other than a few short distances on a treadmill. It is important to weigh the pros and cons before deciding if barefoot running is right for you. The one thing everyone can agree on is that if you do decide to give barefoot running a try, make sure that your body is prepared. 

We would love to know, have any of you tried barefoot running? If so, what was your experience? If not, would you ever consider it?

Sources

Holowka NB, Wallace IJ, Lieberman DE. (2018). Foot strength and stiffness are related to footwear use in a comparison of minimally- vs. conventionally-shod populations. Sci Rep.8(1)3679. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21916-7. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5829167/

Perkins KP, Hanney WJ, Rothschild CE. (2014). The risks and benefits of running barefoot or in minimalist shoes: a systematic review. Sports Health. 6(6):475-480. doi:10.1177/1941738114546846

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4212355/

Rothschild, C. (2012). Running Barefoot or in Minimalist Shoes. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 34(2), 8-17, 10.1519/SSC.0b013e318241b15e

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272032297_Running_Barefoot_or_in_Minimalist_Shoes